


Lone Wardens

by XxWhiteWolfxX



Series: The Adventures of Dain Mahariel [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Flirting, Lothering, Purple Hawke, Sarcasm, Weapons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 09:55:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9066757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XxWhiteWolfxX/pseuds/XxWhiteWolfxX
Summary: Surviving Ostagar Dain, Alistair, and Morrigan set out to enforce the Wardens treaties. Grief settles in Dain's seemingly never healing heart but he must endure as he is called to save Ferelden by stopping the blight with only one other Warden and a mage's aid.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to Christina for the editing! <3

Walking through the wilds behind Morrigan, I finally bow my head and send a quick prayer to the Creators for Duncan and the others. Duncan, I finally realize, had been a good friend and I mourn his loss greatly. My own grief is nothing compared to Alistair’s, raising my head I look over at him. I had been right in my assumption that Duncan had been like a father to him, based on his reaction. _Duncan didn’t deserve this, no one did!_

When I had awoken in the small hut, Morrigan had filled me in on what had happened. Apparently, when our signal had gone up Loghain had pulled his troops out when it was most crucial to send them in, knowingly sentencing the King along with all the Wardens to death. I feel my face harden as I remember the gruesome scene she had described. Flemeth, Morrigan’s mother, had managed to save us by shapeshifting into a large bird and flying us from the tower or so they had said. I shake my head trying to wrap my head around all the information.

Alistair and I had managed to come up with a plan before he had retreated in his grief, leaving Morrigan and I to converse as I refused to fall into my own grief again. She is an interesting person to say the least. We spent the days traveling to Lothering in quiet with bits of sarcasm mixed in until we finally reach the small town to put our plan into action.

“Ok, first we’ll need to get some better weapons…” I begin to take charge when a man with black hair and old armor interrupts me.

“Well, well lads, seems we have some refugees trying to get by without paying the toll tax!” A group of shemlen walks toward us blocking the road into town.

My jaw tenses and I barely manage to growl out, “I suggest you turn and walk away.” I have absolutely no qualms with killing these shems if needed.

“Ooooo, a tough lad huh?” He steps closer to me and I can smell the dirt and sweat on him. Obviously he was a thief, robbing other refugees and in no real power. After the emotional upheaval of the past few weeks in my life, I have no wish to be toyed with. Pulling my sword from its sheath I hold it at the shemlen’s neck. My eyes narrow and spark with anger.

“You will return everything you have taken from the refugees who came through here or I will spill your guts on this road and leave you here.” The leader scoffs at my words as he looks back at his comrades.

When he faces me again his tone is mocking, “Come now! We’re all friends here, no need for violence.”

My tone drops dangerously, “I will not repeat my demand, shem.”

Finally realizing I’m serious, his face reddens in anger. “Why you little... You think I’m gunna let a knife ear tell me what to do?!” He starts to pull his sword from his belt but before he can get it out I step forward and slit his throat in one fluid motion.

Turning my gaze to the other wide eyed lackeys, I narrow my eyes, “Anyone else want to test my patience?” “N-no,” one of the others says, his voice quivering in fear as they all turn and run toward the town.

“Dain, was that really necessary?” I turn and look at Alistair in surprise.

“Ah, our companion finally speaks!” Morrigan places a hand on her hip and glares at him. “We were beginning think you had been struck dumb, staring at your navel as you have been.”

“I-,” His face reddens slightly as he realizes just how withdrawn he has been. Morrigan sashays away from the two of us and begins poking delicately around in the crates the robbers had gathered from the refugees.

“Dain I’m sorry. I just… They were the only family I’ve ever known.” The sadness in his voice softens my stern expression slightly.

“You don’t have to apologize to me Alistair. Just stay with me long enough to stop the blight ok?” We both chuckle.

“It won’t happen again. I promise!” He chuckles at me as we rejoin Morrigan.

“Tell me warden, are you not the senior officer of the two of you?” I roll my eyes and begin searching the men for coin but see Alistair nod. “Then why do you defer to his lead?”

I turn, curious to hear his answer as well. “Me lead? No! Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die, and the next thing you know I’m stranded somewhere without any pants.” The stricken look on his face is too comical and a laugh escapes me.

Standing with the newly acquired gold, I walk towards the town, “Come on, we need to find the blacksmith.”

After telling some of the refugees that their possessions could be reclaimed, we finally make it to the blacksmith. “You two wait here and I’ll see if they have anything suitable.” Honestly, their bickering was beginning to wear on me, though it _is_ comical.

Walking into the shop I pause at the sight that greets me. A young woman, who obviously didn’t hear me come in, is moving with two beautiful daggers, silent and intently like a poem. Her movements were sure and practiced but if the bruises along her arms gave any indication she seems to be still healing in some places so she is taking it easy. She moves like water until she trips over a staff that had fallen over and nearly falls herself. A young man in the corner of the shop snickers at her, grabbing a great sword he quickly left the shop. Standing, she twirls around with a scowl that quickly turns into a blush. _She is certainly beautiful, for a shem even with the bruises_. Her blonde hair is pulled into a tight braid that falls to her waist and piercing blue eyes, one of which was surrounded in a strange tattoo. She carefully regards my helm covered face curiously.

I hold out my hand for one of her daggers, “You have skill da’len.” Pleasantly surprised as she willingly hands it to me, I twirl the crimson and black dagger and watch her as she looks over my armor. _Well-crafted dagger, the smith must like her to have spent so much time on it._ Walking to the counter, I sit the dagger back on top of the cloth and remove my helm, running a hand through my hair; I turn back toward the tattooed woman.

She smiles and moves a little closer, “and whom do I thank for such a compliment?”

I cross my arms and bow formally. “Andaran atish'an, my name is Dain of the Grey Wardens,” smirking at her look of shock. The flirtatious smile she gives me, however, does surprise me.

“Pleasure to meet you, Dain, my name is Flynn Hawke.” She holds out her hand to shake mine and I can’t help but cock an eyebrow at the strange shemlen custom but I step forward and shake her hand anyway.

Her smile seems to falter, “If you’re here… Did we lose Ostagar?” My own smile falters and suspicion fills me at her question, “I fought with King Cailin’s Army a few times…”

I grimace as the suspicion leaves me, “The shemlen Loghain betrayed your King and my commander. We lit the signal and the bastard pulled out instead of sending the rest of the army in.”

Hawke gasps, her eyes search my face as if trying to find a lie in what I said, “Shit,” she moves to the counter quickly grabbing her other dagger and, sheathing them, throws gold on the counter. “They are heading this way then?”

“Yes,” watching her movements I can’t help but ask, “you really believe me, just like that?”

Looking over her shoulder she gives a half smile, “I fought with the army, I knew how bad it was, and I knew a few of the Wardens. Wardens don’t joke about the blight.”

Suddenly the door of the smithy bursts open and Alistair runs in, “Get this witch away from me!”

“Alistair!” Hawke and I say in unison, lowering our weapons sheepishly, I didn’t even realize I’d drawn mine. Sheathing her daggers, she grins at the man across the room. Alistair runs behind her quickly and uses her as a shield as Morrigan enters. Watching the way her eyes widened slightly, _I guess most women didn’t dress like she does._

“She’s evil, Hawke! He brought an evil witch then left me out there with her!” Alistair says as he peeks from behind her and sends Morrigan a glare.

“If I have to endure another minute of that simpleton’s whimpering I cannot be held responsible for my actions and I am a mage not a witch,” Morrigan stated as she waves a hand and places the other on her hip, glaring at Alistair, “I also happen to have a name!”

“Morrigan please…” I roll my eyes and sigh at them.

“See, our fearless leader knows it,” She tosses her hand carelessly at me.

Hawke laughs at the scene and detaches Alistair from her, “If I had known it would only take a mage to get you to touch me, I would have found one earlier,” she winks at Alistair and suppresses a giggle at the immediate blush and stammering that begins to pour out of his mouth. I lean against the wall with one foot propped up, listening to them speak.

Alistair steps away and finally sees her face and arms and gasps, “What happened, Hawke?” I’m surprised yet again when the woman blushes and looks ashamed.

My surprise doubles when Morrigan speaks, “She has been marked as property by the local slavers. If I were to hazard a guess, you pissed them off?”

“No!” Alistair gasps, “But wait you’re alive and obviously not a slave?”

The laugh she gives is bitter as is her reply, “Well, you know how when you kill nearly all of a slaver’s men, then tell him his breath smells worse than druffalo dung, add that he hits like your grandmother, and that the princess should be careful or they might hurt themselves?” She says casually then gestures to herself, “This is the finished product.”

“You are either stupid,” Morrigan says after Hawke finishes her rambling explanation, “or very, very smart.”

“They could have killed you, Lyn!” Alistair’s face scrunches with worry, “Why would you piss them off on purpose?”

As the woman pulls herself to her full height, I feel anger fill me on her behalf, “There are things worse than death Alistair and with two of his men preventing me from fighting back… Let’s just say death was preferable.” S _ome shems believe they own the world and everyone in it_.

“ _Very_ smart it is then,” My eyes widen as Morrigan walks up to her and lightly touches her tattoo. “It is a pretty thing though, you can add one mark here,” She traces a portion of her cheekbone and moves to make a twirl above her eye, “and here. ‘Property no longer’ or ‘no one’s property’ which would be here and here,” Her finger traces further down from her cheekbone to her jaw and ends in a twirl then moves to her other cheek and makes two lines. She moves back and gives her a small smile.

Alistair openly gapes at Morrigan then he grumbles, “Sure, _her_ you can be nice to!”

Morrigan rolls her eyes and moves back to where she had stood before, “ _Her_ I like.” I chuckle at the pair but don’t take my eyes off of Hawke.

Her eyes move back to me and I ask gently. “Did you kill them?”

Her smile falls, “No. After… after they left I was too broken. I barely made it home and that was only four days ago…” she shakes her head and meets my gaze, adding angrily, “I need to get my family to safety and I don’t have time to hunt them down.”

I nod my understanding and push off the wall as the young man from earlier returns to the shop, “Lyn are you…” His sentence trails off as his eyes land on Morrigan.

“Yes Carver, I’m coming. Did you get the other supplies?” she asks as amusement fills her eyes.

“Yes,” he answers without looking at her and I roll my eyes at the boy. “Good,” she rolls her eyes and looks back at the three of us, “It was nice to meet you two but I must go. Alistair, thank you for finally touching me,” she sends the blushing man a wink and smiles then adds, “Thank you for the advice Morrigan and Dain,” I smile lazily at her, “If _you_ ever need of bed warmer you call me.” She laughs as my eyes widen at her brazenness and the disgusted noise her brother makes, “Take care of each other.” After one last smile at us she steps from the shop.

Alistair laughs heartily at the look on my face, “Oh, she likes you!” He pokes my arm and I roll my eyes, beginning to look around at the weapons in the shop.


End file.
